Most Common Male First Names in the United States

In this section of the site we have data on the most common male first names in the United States.

Note: the data source for these names is the 1990 Decennial Census, and is very outdated. If you want to view more accurate data on the popularity of first names, please check the baby names section of the site, which has much more recent data of names registered on Social Security card applications.

The table below shows the most popular first names for the U.S. population for the 1990 Census.

You can use the links below to view more common first names. This page is currently showing male names ranked from 1 to 300.

Most common first names: 1-1000 | 1001+

Most common male names: 1-300 | 301-600 | 601-900 | 900+

Most common female names: 1-1000 | 1001-2000 | 2001-3000 | 3001+

Rank
Name
Frequency (%)
Count

1
JAMES
3.32%
10,835,570

2
JOHN
3.27%
10,682,082

3
ROBERT
3.14%
10,264,073

4
MICHAEL
2.63%
8,585,507

5
WILLIAM
2.45%
8,004,214

6
DAVID
2.36%
7,716,833

7
RICHARD
1.70%
5,561,475

8
CHARLES
1.52%
4,973,651

9
JOSEPH
1.40%
4,585,033

10
THOMAS
1.38%
4,506,656

11
CHRISTOPHER
1.04%
3,379,992

12
DANIEL
0.97%
3,180,785

13
PAUL
0.95%
3,095,877

14
MARK
0.94%
3,063,220

15
DONALD
0.93%
3,040,360

16
GEORGE
0.93%
3,027,297

17
KENNETH
0.83%
2,697,462

18
STEVEN
0.78%
2,547,241

19
EDWARD
0.78%
2,543,975

20
BRIAN
0.74%
2,403,550

21
RONALD
0.73%
2,367,627

22
ANTHONY
0.72%
2,354,565

23
KEVIN
0.67%
2,191,280

24
JASON
0.66%
2,155,357

25
MATTHEW
0.66%
2,145,560

26
GARY
0.65%
2,122,701

27
TIMOTHY
0.64%
2,090,044

28
JOSE
0.61%
2,001,870

29
LARRY
0.60%
1,952,884

30
JEFFREY
0.59%
1,930,025

31
FRANK
0.58%
1,897,368

32
SCOTT
0.55%
1,783,068

33
ERIC
0.54%
1,776,537

34
STEPHEN
0.54%
1,763,474

35
ANDREW
0.54%
1,753,677

36
RAYMOND
0.49%
1,593,658

37
GREGORY
0.44%
1,440,171

38
JOSHUA
0.44%
1,420,576

39
JERRY
0.43%
1,410,779

40
DENNIS
0.42%
1,355,263

41
WALTER
0.40%
1,303,012

42
PATRICK
0.39%
1,270,355

43
PETER
0.38%
1,244,229

44
HAROLD
0.37%
1,211,572

45
DOUGLAS
0.37%
1,198,509

46
HENRY
0.37%
1,191,978

47
CARL
0.35%
1,129,930

48
ARTHUR
0.34%
1,094,007

49
RYAN
0.33%
1,071,147

50
ROGER
0.32%
1,051,553

51
JOE
0.32%
1,048,287

52
JUAN
0.32%
1,031,959

53
JACK
0.32%
1,028,693

54
ALBERT
0.31%
1,025,428

55
JONATHAN
0.31%
1,022,162

56
JUSTIN
0.31%
1,015,631

57
TERRY
0.31%
1,015,631

58
GERALD
0.31%
1,009,099

59
KEITH
0.31%
1,005,833

60
SAMUEL
0.31%
999,302

61
WILLIE
0.30%
986,239

62
RALPH
0.28%
920,925

63
LAWRENCE
0.28%
920,925

64
NICHOLAS
0.28%
898,066

65
ROY
0.27%
891,534

66
BENJAMIN
0.27%
881,737

67
BRUCE
0.26%
858,877

68
BRANDON
0.26%
849,080

69
ADAM
0.26%
845,815

70
HARRY
0.25%
819,689

71
FRED
0.25%
819,689

72
WAYNE
0.25%
813,158

73
BILLY
0.25%
809,892

74
STEVE
0.25%
803,360

75
LOUIS
0.24%
793,563

76
JEREMY
0.24%
790,298

77
AARON
0.24%
783,766

78
RANDY
0.23%
757,641

79
HOWARD
0.23%
751,109

80
EUGENE
0.23%
751,109

81
CARLOS
0.23%
747,844

82
RUSSELL
0.22%
731,515

83
BOBBY
0.22%
728,250

84
VICTOR
0.22%
724,984

85
MARTIN
0.22%
705,390

86
ERNEST
0.22%
702,124

87
PHILLIP
0.21%
695,593

88
TODD
0.21%
695,593

89
JESSE
0.21%
682,530

90
CRAIG
0.21%
672,733

91
ALAN
0.20%
666,201

92
SHAWN
0.20%
653,139

93
CLARENCE
0.20%
643,342

94
SEAN
0.20%
643,342

95
PHILIP
0.20%
643,342

96
CHRIS
0.20%
643,342

97
JOHNNY
0.20%
636,810

98
EARL
0.19%
630,279

99
JIMMY
0.19%
623,747

100
ANTONIO
0.19%
620,482

101
DANNY
0.19%
620,482

102
BRYAN
0.19%
620,482

103
TONY
0.19%
620,482

104
LUIS
0.19%
617,216

105
MIKE
0.19%
617,216

106
STANLEY
0.19%
607,419

107
LEONARD
0.19%
607,419

108
NATHAN
0.19%
604,153

109
DALE
0.18%
600,888

110
MANUEL
0.18%
591,090

111
RODNEY
0.18%
587,825

112
CURTIS
0.18%
587,825

113
NORMAN
0.18%
578,028

114
ALLEN
0.17%
568,231

115
MARVIN
0.17%
558,434

116
VINCENT
0.17%
548,636

117
GLENN
0.17%
545,371

118
JEFFERY
0.17%
542,105

119
TRAVIS
0.17%
542,105

120
JEFF
0.17%
542,105

121
CHAD
0.17%
538,839

122
JACOB
0.17%
538,839

123
LEE
0.16%
529,042

124
MELVIN
0.16%
529,042

125
ALFRED
0.16%
529,042

126
KYLE
0.16%
522,511

127
FRANCIS
0.16%
522,511

128
BRADLEY
0.16%
519,245

129
JESUS
0.16%
506,182

130
HERBERT
0.16%
506,182

131
FREDERICK
0.15%
502,917

132
RAY
0.15%
499,651

133
JOEL
0.15%
496,385

134
EDWIN
0.15%
483,323

135
DON
0.15%
473,525

136
EDDIE
0.14%
470,260

137
RICKY
0.14%
460,463

138
TROY
0.14%
450,666

139
RANDALL
0.14%
450,666

140
BARRY
0.13%
437,603

141
ALEXANDER
0.13%
431,071

142
BERNARD
0.13%
414,743

143
MARIO
0.13%
408,212

144
LEROY
0.13%
408,212

145
FRANCISCO
0.12%
404,946

146
MARCUS
0.12%
404,946

147
MICHEAL
0.12%
401,680

148
THEODORE
0.12%
401,680

149
CLIFFORD
0.12%
401,680

150
MIGUEL
0.12%
398,415

151
OSCAR
0.12%
398,415

152
JAY
0.12%
385,352

153
JIM
0.12%
385,352

154
TOM
0.12%
382,086

155
CALVIN
0.12%
375,555

156
ALEX
0.12%
375,555

157
JON
0.12%
375,555

158
RONNIE
0.11%
369,023

159
BILL
0.11%
365,758

160
LLOYD
0.11%
365,758

161
TOMMY
0.11%
365,758

162
LEON
0.11%
365,758

163
DEREK
0.11%
365,758

164
WARREN
0.11%
359,226

165
DARRELL
0.11%
352,695

166
JEROME
0.11%
352,695

167
FLOYD
0.11%
349,429

168
LEO
0.11%
346,163

169
ALVIN
0.11%
342,898

170
TIM
0.10%
339,632

171
WESLEY
0.10%
339,632

172
GORDON
0.10%
339,632

173
DEAN
0.10%
339,632

174
GREG
0.10%
339,632

175
JORGE
0.10%
339,632

176
DUSTIN
0.10%
336,366

177
PEDRO
0.10%
336,366

178
DERRICK
0.10%
336,366

179
DAN
0.10%
329,835

180
LEWIS
0.10%
323,304

181
ZACHARY
0.10%
323,304

182
COREY
0.10%
320,038

183
HERMAN
0.10%
316,772

184
MAURICE
0.10%
316,772

185
VERNON
0.10%
316,772

186
ROBERTO
0.10%
316,772

187
CLYDE
0.10%
310,241

188
GLEN
0.09%
306,975

189
HECTOR
0.09%
306,975

190
SHANE
0.09%
303,709

191
RICARDO
0.09%
303,709

192
SAM
0.09%
300,444

193
RICK
0.09%
297,178

194
LESTER
0.09%
297,178

195
BRENT
0.09%
293,912

196
RAMON
0.09%
293,912

197
CHARLIE
0.09%
293,912

198
TYLER
0.09%
290,647

199
GILBERT
0.09%
290,647

200
GENE
0.09%
284,115

201
MARC
0.09%
284,115

202
REGINALD
0.08%
274,318

203
RUBEN
0.08%
267,787

204
BRETT
0.08%
267,787

205
ANGEL
0.08%
267,787

206
NATHANIEL
0.08%
264,521

207
RAFAEL
0.08%
264,521

208
LESLIE
0.08%
264,521

209
EDGAR
0.08%
261,255

210
MILTON
0.08%
261,255

211
RAUL
0.08%
257,990

212
BEN
0.08%
254,724

213
CHESTER
0.08%
254,724

214
CECIL
0.08%
254,724

215
DUANE
0.08%
251,458

216
FRANKLIN
0.08%
251,458

217
ANDRE
0.08%
248,193

218
ELMER
0.07%
241,661

219
BRAD
0.07%
238,396

220
GABRIEL
0.07%
238,396

221
RON
0.07%
235,130

222
MITCHELL
0.07%
235,130

223
ROLAND
0.07%
235,130

224
ARNOLD
0.07%
235,130

225
HARVEY
0.07%
235,130

226
JARED
0.07%
231,864

227
ADRIAN
0.07%
225,333

228
KARL
0.07%
225,333

229
CORY
0.07%
222,067

230
CLAUDE
0.07%
222,067

231
ERIK
0.07%
222,067

232
DARRYL
0.07%
218,801

233
JAMIE
0.07%
215,536

234
NEIL
0.07%
215,536

235
JESSIE
0.07%
212,270

236
CHRISTIAN
0.07%
212,270

237
JAVIER
0.07%
212,270

238
FERNANDO
0.07%
212,270

239
CLINTON
0.07%
212,270

240
TED
0.06%
209,004

241
MATHEW
0.06%
209,004

242
TYRONE
0.06%
209,004

243
DARREN
0.06%
209,004

244
LONNIE
0.06%
209,004

245
LANCE
0.06%
205,739

246
CODY
0.06%
205,739

247
JULIO
0.06%
205,739

248
KELLY
0.06%
205,739

249
KURT
0.06%
202,473

250
ALLAN
0.06%
199,207

251
NELSON
0.06%
199,207

252
GUY
0.06%
195,942

253
CLAYTON
0.06%
195,942

254
HUGH
0.06%
195,942

255
MAX
0.06%
192,676

256
DWAYNE
0.06%
192,676

257
DWIGHT
0.06%
189,410

258
ARMANDO
0.06%
189,410

259
FELIX
0.06%
189,410

260
JIMMIE
0.06%
189,410

261
EVERETT
0.06%
186,145

262
JORDAN
0.06%
182,879

263
IAN
0.06%
182,879

264
WALLACE
0.06%
182,879

265
KEN
0.06%
179,613

266
BOB
0.06%
179,613

267
JAIME
0.06%
179,613

268
CASEY
0.05%
176,347

269
ALFREDO
0.05%
176,347

270
ALBERTO
0.05%
173,082

271
DAVE
0.05%
173,082

272
IVAN
0.05%
173,082

273
JOHNNIE
0.05%
169,816

274
SIDNEY
0.05%
169,816

275
BYRON
0.05%
169,816

276
JULIAN
0.05%
169,816

277
ISAAC
0.05%
166,550

278
MORRIS
0.05%
166,550

279
CLIFTON
0.05%
163,285

280
WILLARD
0.05%
163,285

281
DARYL
0.05%
163,285

282
ROSS
0.05%
163,285

283
VIRGIL
0.05%
160,019

284
ANDY
0.05%
160,019

285
MARSHALL
0.05%
160,019

286
SALVADOR
0.05%
160,019

287
PERRY
0.05%
160,019

288
KIRK
0.05%
160,019

289
SERGIO
0.05%
160,019

290
MARION
0.05%
156,753

291
TRACY
0.05%
156,753

292
SETH
0.05%
156,753

293
KENT
0.05%
156,753

294
TERRANCE
0.05%
156,753

295
RENE
0.05%
156,753

296
EDUARDO
0.05%
153,488

297
TERRENCE
0.05%
153,488

298
ENRIQUE
0.05%
150,222

299
FREDDIE
0.05%
150,222

300
WADE
0.05%
146,956

The Most Common Male Names in the United States

Did you find your name on the list? Or maybe you were surprised by where you found it on the list. This could be because you have a name that is very popular or has been around for many years.

But why do people have names to begin with? And where did people get the idea to name themselves and their children? Keep reading to learn more.

Why Do People Have Names?

It’s easy to see why people have names, just picture a world without them. It doesn’t even have to be a world without names, just think of your family or your coworkers not having names. Rather than calling their name out to ask a question, you would have to physically gesture to them or just say ‘hey you.’

Emailing and texting would be just as difficult as you would never know who anything was from or who it was referring to—you get the point; names are a necessary part of society.

Unfortunately, historians aren’t sure when the practice of naming originated, as everything written in history talks about people using names. Therefore many speculate that names have been around since the time when humans first began using spoken language.

Where Do Male First Names Come From?

Even though the practice of naming has been around for thousands of years, the method of how parents come up with names for their children has remained relatively unchanged. Most names are derived from some basic aspects of life. These aspects will vary widely from culture to culture.

Names From Nouns

The main place where people derived names to name themselves is from nouns. These noun names would be the equivalent of naming someone ‘Tree,’ ‘Earl’ or ‘Hunter’ today. But because English wasn’t always the most prominent language on the planet, your name may be derived from a noun without you knowing.

Take the name ‘Jason’ for example, as it is the Greek word for ‘healer.’ If your name is Jason, it’s unlikely your parents really wanted to name you ‘healer’ but rather they just liked the sound of the name without knowing it’s origin.

Names From Adjectives

Names are also frequently derived from adjectives. Think of the name ‘Harry,’ although someone with this name may not necessarily be any harrier than anyone else, it’s likely that the name was once given to a child who was born very hairy, and the spelling changed over time.

It isn’t always obvious that a name is from an adjective either. Look at the name ‘Robert’ which actually means ‘bright’ in old German. No one speaks old German anymore, so if your name is Robert, you likely had no idea it was an adjective name even though it is one of the most common names for males in the United States.

Names From Compound Phrases

Other names which are popular are made of compound phrases. This would be the equivalent of naming your child ‘He who rides the wave’ or ‘The brave leader’ today. (This is still done in some cultures, such as in Hawaii). Of course, while this is no longer common, there are many popular names that entered the world in this way.

For example, ‘Benjamin’ , a very popular boy’s name, is actually Hebrew for ‘Son of the Right Hand.’ Most people who named their son Benjamin have no idea of the meaning behind the name.

Names From Gods/Religion

Does your name not seem to come from any of these categories? Well, then it is likely you are named after a religious figure or god. These names are especially common among males. Take ‘Michael’ which is the name of a famous archangel and is one of the most popular male names.

‘Jesus,’ ‘John,’ and ‘Joseph’ are all names of religious origin that still remain popular today.

Why Are Some Male First Names So Common?

When looking at common first names for males, you will notice the top names are extremely common. Much more so than the top female names in the same places. Why is this?

Well, the practice of how people name their children is actually very difficult to track and even harder to explain. There are some naming phenomena that even scientists don’t understand.

Think about it this way, when parents are naming a child they are much more likely to come up with a unique name for a daughter, rather than for a son. Parents are also more likely to tweak a girl’s name with a spelling change than a boys. Why is this? No one is sure, but it could have something to do with the fact that parents fear a son will be judged much more harshly by his peers if he has a weird name than if their daughter does.

Therefore when faced with a choice between naming their son ‘David’ or coming up with something new like ‘Daviloen,’ many parents will take the easy way out and pick the simple name so their child doesn’t have problems in the future.

But besides just sticking to boring names, you have to account for the fact that people like to show respect to family members by naming their children after their parents/grandparents. Although this does happen with daughters too, it is increasingly more common in boys. Boys are much more likely to be named the same name as their father.

This means that a name like Robert, which has been popular for years, isn’t on the forefront of everyone’s mind, but rather it’s the parents passing on the family name as a sign of respect. Therefore the name remains popular as generation after generation continues the tradition.

Additionally, people often name their children after celebrities or famous people they admire. Thus as certain celebrities rise in fame, there tends to be a spike of children named after that celebrity. This is much more difficult to track in boys than girls (again, due to the lack of creativity) but you can see this in the name ‘Elon’ which has become more popular ever since Elon Musk became a household name.

Besides naming their children after the living, parents also like to name their children after characters in books. Recently, the popular book ‘Twilight’ has brought back many old names which were on their way to extinction such as ‘Edward,’ ‘Emmett,’ and ‘Carlisle.’ It will be interesting to see if this trend continues, or if it fades as the generation who enjoyed this book gets too old to have children.

Overall, it’s difficult to say exactly why some names are popular and others are not. It’s also hard to say for sure why so many male names have been popular for so long. It is likely a combination of all of the above aspects working together to keep names like ‘James’ and ‘John’ at the top of the list.

Why Do Some Male Names Go Out of Style?

There are times when a name will sink down the list, or perhaps be eliminated from it completely. This occurs for several reasons.

As previously mentioned, many people name their children after figures and characters. As these celebrities or stories go out of style, so too does the practice of naming them this way. And sometimes, there is negative publicity surrounding a name, causing people to stop naming their children after the individual entirely. Just look at the popularity of the name ‘Adolf’ for example.

Over time, it is becoming less and less popular to name a son after the father and grandfather. While the US was once filled with ‘Junior’s’ and ‘the seconds’ it is now becoming more popular to give your son a new name. Therefore it is possible names you see on this list today may not retain the same spot in the coming decades.

In conclusion, it’s almost impossible to say why some names go out of style while others remain popular so you’ll just have to keep wondering why there are still so many people naming their son ‘John.’

Data Source(s)

All of the data on this page is sourced from the 1990 Decennial Census survey, from the United States Census Bureau.

If you know of a more up-to-date source for first name data, please let us know. You can also use the baby name section for further research of common and popular first names in the United States.

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• “Most Common Male First Names in the United States”. NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 29, 2023. https://namecensus.com/first-names/common-male-first-names/.

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